Southeast China is on flood alert and emergency services are preparing for the onslaught of tropical storm Fanapi, which is expected to hit early next week.

An official with the flood control and drought relief headquarters in east China's Zhejiang Province said Fanapi, expected to be the 11th tropical storm to hit China this year, formed in the western Pacific late Wednesday.

At 11:00 AM Thursday, the storm was 1,000 km southeast of Wenzhou city, Zhejiang, and it was forecast to land around Sept. 20, according to the local meteorological administration.

The storm was bringing winds of 5 to 10 km an hour with 9 km an hour at its eye.

The headquarters released a statement Thursday that all local government and marine, fishing and communications authorities should recall all vessels to port and tell them to stop offshore operations.

The statement also warned local authorities of possible flooding caused by rainstorm.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2010)